Professional Writing in Action! Publishing Student Reviews Online

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Computers with Internet Access
• Document Camera, Overhead Projector, or LCD Projector
  
• Copy of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Selection of other books/novels students may read to review
  
• Large sticky note sheets

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STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   3 – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

ReadWriteThink Notetaker

Useful for a wide variety of reading and writing activities, this outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information.

 

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PRINTOUTS

• Audience Brainstorming Worksheet
• Analyzing a Text Worksheet
• The Yellow Wallpaper Reading Guide
• Writing Your Own Professional Review Assignment
• Writing a Review Checklist
  

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WEBSITES

• Helpful Review-Writing Website
  

  Writing with Writers, namely the “Write a Book Review with Rodman Philbrick” page, provides a comprehensive guide for beginning writers of book reviews.

• Teenink.com
  

  This site shares reviews written by and for teens.

• Teens’ Page of the Escondido, CA Public Library
  

  This site offers books reviews by and for teenagers as well as information on news and events, homework help, and preparing for college and careers.

• Allreaders.com
  

  This site provides reviews of several genres of books.

• Bookpage.com
  

  This is a monthly online book review publication offering reviews of fiction, history, science fiction, children’s books, and others.

• Enotes.com “The Yellow Wallpaper Introduction”
  

  Enotes is an educational resource available for teachers and students providing literature study guides, lesson plans, and literary criticism.

• Project Gutenberg “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  

  Project Gutenberg is a free site where readers may view over 33,000 e-books. This site provides a complete copy of The Yellow Wallpaper for teachers and students.

• Amazon.com General Review Creation Guidelines
  

  This site provides reviewers with the guidelines for writing and publishing a review on amazon.com.

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PREPARATION

1. Teachers should select one text that all students will read (such as Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, the example used for this lesson).
2. Teachers should also have a selection of other books on hand, or have generated a suitable list, for students to choose from to do their own reviews in the second part of this lesson.
3. Teachers need access to computers with Internet capabilities for the days needed to work through the lesson.
4. Make copies of all handouts (one copy for each student):
   • Audience Brainstorming Worksheet
   • Analyzing a Text Worksheet
   • The Yellow Wallpaper Reading Guide
   • Writing Your Own Professional Review Assignment
   • Writing a Review Checklist

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